College Athlete Who Stopped Breakaway Amtrak Cars Honored

TROY, N.Y. (AP) — A quick-thinking college athlete has been honored for stopping an Amtrak train that had two passenger cars detach after leaving an Albany-area station last month.

Troy Mayor Patrick Madden visited Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Thursday to thank freshman Reuben Clarke for his actions. The Times Union of Albany reports Madden was also on campus to congratulate the entire RPI football team for its 10-2 season.

Train 68, also known as the Adirondack, was heading from Montreal to Manhattan on Thanksgiving eve when the train experienced what Amtrak called a "mechanical issue" and had two cars detach in transit.

Clarke, an offensive lineman from West Haven, Connecticut, is credited with pulling the emergency brake and stopping the cars.

Amtrak officials say the rail service is investigating the cause of the separation.